Olympia was the homeworld of the Iron Warriors Space Marine Legion. It’s a planet defined by two catastrophes: Perturabo’s brutal suppression of a rebellion just before the Horus Heresy, and the world’s own destruction during the Great Scouring.
What Olympia was
Before it became a Legion homeworld, Olympia was a rugged, mountainous planet. Its people lived in fortified city states scattered across the surface, and control of mountain passes and high ground decided who held power.
One of those cities, Lochos, was home to the primarch Perturabo. Its ruler, the Tyrant of Lochos, dominated the region until the Emperor arrived. Perturabo took command of a Space Marine Legion, overthrew the Tyrant, and claimed the planet for himself.
He recruited from Olympia’s population and led his new Legion out into the Great Crusade. The planet’s culture of fortification and bitter rivalry shaped the Iron Warriors’ character.
The rebellion and the decimation
Just before the Horus Heresy, Olympia rebelled against Perturabo. The governor, Dammekos, had died, and the city lords fell back into their old feuding. The Word Bearers had secretly encouraged the revolt.
Perturabo returned in a fury. He offered the population a choice: decimation, killing one in ten of their own, or total extermination and enslavement. They chose decimation, but it wasn’t enough. Each city was purged street by street, leaving few alive.
Over five million people died. Some Iron Warriors refused to take part and were cut down by their own brothers. Great pyres burned in Olympia’s skies. Horus praised Perturabo for the slaughter; the Emperor, Perturabo believed, never would. That moment helped push the Iron Warriors toward betrayal.
The Siege of Olympia and the world’s end
After the Heresy failed, the Iron Warriors retreated to their strongholds. In 019.M31, the Ultramarines and Imperial Fists invaded Olympia. The Iron Warriors held out for two years.
When defeat became inevitable, they triggered their own missile stockpiles. The explosions turned Olympia into a barren wasteland. The Imperium declared it perdita, a world lost beyond recovery.
Today Olympia is a dead world with no population and no tithe grade. It remains a symbol of the Iron Warriors’ bitterness and the price of Perturabo’s rage.
Key facts
- Olympia was the Iron Warriors’ homeworld and Perturabo’s adopted planet.
- Its city states, including Lochos, were built around mountain fortresses.
- A pre-Heresy rebellion led to a decimation and over five million deaths.
- The Word Bearers secretly engineered that rebellion.
- The Siege of Olympia (019.M31) ended with the Iron Warriors destroying their own world.
- Olympia is now a dead world, declared perdita by the Imperium.
FAQ
What happened to Olympia in Warhammer 40k?
Olympia was devastated by Perturabo’s purge just before the Horus Heresy, then destroyed by the Iron Warriors themselves during the Siege of Olympia in the Great Scouring. It’s now a dead world.
Why did Perturabo decimate Olympia?
The planet rebelled against him while he was away. Furious and already shaken by the Sak’trada Deeps Campaign, he returned and forced the population to choose between decimation and extermination.
Who fought in the Siege of Olympia?
The Ultramarines and Imperial Fists invaded the Iron Warriors’ homeworld during the Great Scouring. The Iron Warriors held out for two years before destroying the planet themselves.